Don't Buy the Best Guitar | Real Guitar Talk

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Here are a few reasons why you shouldn't just buy the best or most expensive guitar around, and why it isn't smart to keep up with the Joneses. Real Guitar Talk!

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[JackFossett]

By the way - I hate doing these stupid thumbnails. They're awful. But thats what people click on nowadays. It's a sign of the decline of modern society.

[KelsterVonShredster]

For a young guy you pack a lot of wisdom in your videos. Very well said. Play what makes you happy, f**k what people think.

[Mtn]

Well said Jack. There really is a law of diminishing returns with guitars (as with everything). Seems we all wind up trying to strike the balance between value for money and personal values. After many years in the game, I’ve now settled on a handful of guitars I love. Not the cheapest, most of my imports are now gone, but no crazy vintage or custom shop either. Just the ones that work beautifully for ME.

[johnf.r]

Been playing on my squier strat for 13 years, it was my first electric guitar and it's completely stock, sounds awesome, the neck feels great, yet much of the guitar community says it only good for beginners... I played live in bars, did countless rehearsals, I made a whole record with that squier! If it sounds good and feels good to play, is all that matters

[friedrudibega]

I love the older MIM Strats for the bones.

[BedeLaplume]

Being a guitar aficionado, I've downplayed the importance of a good amp and learned the hard way, that at the end of the day, the amp has the last word.. The guitar will only sound as good as : obviously the player's talent, skills, knowledge and passion as well as the amp and effects he uses.. Sometimes the right kind of reverb and a simple EQ pedal will completely change the voicing of the instrument.. Because quality is a chain and the last mail is the amp..

[SpookyTooth]

I agree. I bought a Gretsch 5420T instead of the 6120T. 5420 was about $900. Even after upgrading to better pickups and wiring/pots/switch/jack and Tru Arc bridge I only had $1400 invested. About half the cost. I love it. Also just bought an Affinity Tele for $250. After I invest another $250 in pickups and controls its still a great investment guitar for $500. I also didn't need the tele, but it complements the Gretsch nicely with my AC30. Buy smart I say.

[SteveSterlacci]

The fun part of being a player today is that its harder to find bad gear than anything. The standard has raised so much. The new epiphones are absolutely insane quality. You can get a cheap firefly for under $200 and play it alongside a vintage gibson (i do this all the time!) Great talk Jack!

[jonnybeck]

Hey-oh Jack...
I've been playing a LONG time and though never pro I thimk one thing you missed was
how even a so-so guitar can, when well set up, be a great player once we've put some mileage on it
ie broken her in ...enjoyed your rant Cheerios

[mortonwilson]

Another thought provoking philosophical piece - really enjoy this thread to your vids! I've never felt 'less than' with my guitars. I think I got lucky because from 18 - 21 I worked as guitar salesman in Wellington's biggest music shop (1973 - 76) and saw a lot of lovely instruments come through, and some not so lovely. We sold a lot of Gibsons and whenever a new shipment arrived at the agents warehouse we got a first look and the boss there also used me as a sort of QC guy as well - over those years there were 3 guitars I told him to send straight back to Kalamazoo . . . banana necks usually. Around that time I also bought my first electric guitar, a 1968 LP Custom, for NZD 800, from a friend and I still have it. Over the years I have picked up various guitars; a K. Yairi Nylon String (NZD 500) that to this day outshines any number of Ramirez and Taylors I have tried, an S. Yairi 'parlour steel string' (NZD 100 from a luthier who told me 'it's as good as anything I make') and I have yet to find a Martin that can deliver the same sound in the studio, a Sadowsky Electric Nylon & NYC HSH S Style (both USD 3K in 1992 and works of art) and a few inexpensive ones - my Epiphone Casino modded with Lollar P90's is absolutely amazing. I think those early ears in the shop taught me that brand names and high prices are no guarantee of quality or bragging rights . . . if it feels right and isn't obviously 'damaged' and 'speaks to you' then go for it 😀 I've definitely been lucky.

[addieandleesfunplayaddiean]

I bought my first Strat July 1970. A 70' Standard. Played pretty good. It was $225! Had to have a polar white new Tele November 1972, which played better and used it for a couple of years. I bought these with my own money since I started gigging with a band in 1970 (still play regularly with my band at 70 years old. I'm very fortunate!). But I've been using American Strats for the last 41 years and since 1993, the Clapton Srats are unsurpassed. Still use the 1989 Blackie. But I buy and sell, swap and shop, a lot over the last 20 years and I have owned quite a few Mexican Strats, and they are mostly very good Strats for significantly less money! I have a Nashville Tele, MIM, and it is better than any of my American Telecasters I've owned! Also a butterscotch blond Tele I bought from a friend for $300, when he stopped me, literally at the GC register, getting ready to buy the identical American version for 1, 500. The MIM I got from him played significantly better than the USA counterpart! And those Epiphones...just play as good as the Gibsons! (And I have Gibsons-83' standard LP, a 67' ES 335, an LP Ultima and a 2006 LP Studio!) Sorry to be so long winded, but cannot stress how right you are about these affordable guitars! And a good point is to buy these affordable guitars used, because you can get them, in great condition, for up to a third of the original price!! Keep up the Great work, Jack!

[SarahAndreaRoycesChannel]

Since I'm burdened with a very slim budget, I learned instead to work on guitars myself and what cheap guitars make for a solid base to do so. That was an excellent decision. While I have multiple guitars I really love, in case of a catastrophe I would actually take my cheapest and easiest on to replace with me, a well use, more than 30 year old Yamaha classic (as in type, not status) as it works without additional stuff, already took a beating (so no psychological hurdles of endangering it further) and I think can really help lift the mood of other victims of that catastrophe when needed. A lot of well known artists had their breakthrough while they still played cheap copies or guitars other than they were later associated with and oftentimes it is those break trough albums people think of the most when they describe what makes that artists sound. Prince played his cheap Hohner Telecaster Copy pretty much until the end of his life.

[ditchgator]

My Revstar RSS02T has surpassed all my expectations 😉👍
Punches well above its weight 😎👍
Satisfying guitar for me in fit, finish and tones 😎👍
The tones JUST by using the volume knob is where it's at...on each pup selection.
Precision comes to mind here.

[jakeah]

I’ve had lots of Suhrs but sold them in favour of slightly customised USA strats- they were lovely but the difference was marginal and it was better (for me) to pocket the difference

[fearcry]

I am totally agree with you Jack! :)
I bought a American Professional II Stratocaster about two year ago for $2, 460 CAD
Last year I bought a Made in Japan Hybrid II Stratocaster for $1, 102 CAD I am in love with it!
I own 6 made in USA, after the purchase of Japan Hybrid II Stratocaster. I will never buy make in USA again... :)

[plattklum]

A practical guitar and a good ear is all you need really. If you have a good ear you will settle on your gear of choice eventually. However, there are people that try and find happiness in consumerism by chasing the holy grail tone, others use luxury items to gain social status, while others buy gear to motivate themselves to play/practice. Most people have a mix of these things.
My conclusion is that making good music is not important anymore, though there are lots of reasons to explore gear for guitarists. Combine this with a mountain of affordable gear and you end up with a lot of guitar gear heads that mostly consume for one reason or another. The truth is that most my guitar hero's could pick one guitar, amp and some pedals from my collection and conquer the world. They know their preferences and style of music and would make it work.

[ChaosHornet]

All my offsets are pieced together from parts I acquired over time... Though they all started out as decent quality Squiers. I keep the bits I like and upgrade the rest. I don't care about resale so much. I am focused on feel and tone and aesthetics.

I feel confident that my guitars are at least proper Fender quality but still cost a LOT less in the end... And they are tailored to my preferences

[petaralargic]

Functionally (playability and reliability to personaly satisfying degree) + MOJO (feeling and loving the guitar) ps: great vid..just sharing how i try to see it after enough of guitars..also, very interesting moment is that it may be even like too easy to just walk in the store and get the super expensive well atested industry standard instrument..but..it deoends..ah its complicated:) ) glad to see sharing some valuable food for thought, Jack..keep it up!

[michelvondenhoff]

To me a Gretsch Electromatic G5421 and a Squier Telecaster CV to be had for €800 together are very tough to beat. One might switch out few parts but you are playing! Same for amps, get a €300-800 amp (tube or solid state) that can do a clean sound and depending on amp choice throw in two or so pedals or a multi.

The problem with MEX or US made is that it is to appear that origin matters in terms of quality. The point is that quality and quality control is a company (Fender) decision.

[claycrowe]

Well said. Some of the best players I have ever worked with played low end guitars and made them sound fantastic. On the flip side, I have also known people who spent tons of money on high-end instruments and didn't know what to do with them.